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Watercooler stories

By DENNIS DAILY, United Press International
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COLLEGE 'REWARDS' SOME HIGH SCHOOLS

Some are calling it a "growing movement to circumvent bans on racial preferences in university admissions," new scholarship programs that target minority high schools. The Houston Chronicle says that the University of Texas has just announced such a program that will offer financial aid to a group of students from a select number of that state's high schools.

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The publication says that school officials based their decision on which schools to favor taking into account the number of students that traditionally came from the schools to the Austin-based university and its various campuses.

The schools are predominately in the inner-city sectors of Texas' major metropolitan areas of Houston, Dallas and San Antonio. About $100,000 has been set aside for the special, just-announced scholarship programs.


MARLINS' SALE MADE FINAL

It took awhile, but the transfer of ownership of the Florida Marlins Major League Baseball franchise was made official on Tuesday. The owners of baseball's 30 teams voted via conference call on the latest proposal. The current owner of the south Florida team, John Henry, is now free to proceed with his proposed sale of the team to the owner of the Montreal Expos, Jeffrey Loria. The selling price: $158 million.

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The sale is simply a part of baseball's restructuring. The current Expos team has been sold to a holding group, largely comprised of team owners and their interests. In effect, "baseball" will own the Canadian team for the next year.


HAPPY NEW YEAR ... CHINESE STYLE!

It's the Year of the Horse on the ages-old Chinese calendar. Around the world, during the past 24 hours, millions have celebrated the change. In the Chinese astrological calendar the Year of the Horse only comes around every 12 years. In many American cities with large Chinese and other Asian populations, there were parades, special ceremonies and lots of food.

Even in the smallest of towns, Chinese restaurants went all out to please their customers, many offering once-a-year delicacies.

Published reports indicate that huge celebrations rocked in the Chinese capital. The leader of that sprawling country reminded his countrymen that the past 12 months have been ones of great accomplishments, including China's entry into the World Trade Organization and the announcement that it will play host to the 2008 Summer Games.


MOM EXPLAINS NIGHTMARE CAR SEAT ACCIDENT

The mother of an injured toddler has gone before a Memphis court to explain how a malfunctioning built-in car seat may have choked the boy into unconsciousness, leaving him with brain damage. The Houston Chronicle says that Susan Gibson told a court jury how her son survived the 1996 episode as she frantically tried to get the seat's belts to loosen so she could free her baby.

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Gibson and her family are suing Chrysler, the makers of the van containing the seats, for $40 million. Chrysler says that its car seat did not malfunction.

By the way, four years ago the National Highway Safety Administration recalled the built-in seats that had been installed in more than 150,000 vehicles. The agency claimed it had been receiving complaints about malfunctions at that time.

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